Can
      Canada
      afford
      to
      tax
      reading?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      GST
      is
      the
      first
      federal
      tax
      ever
      applied
      to
      reading
      material
      in
      Canada.
     
     
      Books,
      magazines
      and
      newspapers
      were
      free
      of
      all
      federal
      taxes
      from
      Confederation
      until
      1991.
     
     
      The
      tax
      on
      reading
      has
      reduced
      reading
      in
      Canada
      and
      harmed
      students,
      libraries,
      writers
      and
      publishers.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      facts:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Education
      is
      the
      key
      to
      Canada’s
      future
     
    

    
     
      When
      the
      Prime
      Minister
      unveiled
      his
      education
      and
      prosperity
      policy
      last
      year,
      he
     
     
      Stressed
      the
      importance
      of
      learning
      and
      literacy
      to
      Canada’s
      future.
      Yet
      it
      was
      his
     
     
      government
      that
      introduced
      the
      first
      federal
      tax
      in
      Canadian
      history
      to
      apply
      to
      reading
     
     
      material.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Other
      countries
      don’t
      tax
      reading
     
    

    
     
      Our
      international
      competitors
      —
      the
      U.S.,
      Britain,
      Japan,
      Ireland,
      Mexico,
      Australia,
      and
     
     
      many
      other
      countries
      —
      know
      the
      importance
      of
      literacy.
      That's
      why
      they
      refuse
      to
      tax
     
     
      reading.
      The
      European
      Parliament
      recently
      voted
      to
      remove
      all
      taxes
      from
      reading
     
     
      materials
      —
      as
      an
      investment
      in
      their
      countries’
      future.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      GST
      is
      taking
      books,
      magazines
      and
      newspapers
      out
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      hands
      of
      Canadians
      and
      out
      of
      Canadian
      libraries.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      Book
      sales
      dropped
      10%
      in
      the
      first
      year
      of
      GST.
      Magazine
      sales
      dropped
      10-15%
      last
      year,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      GST
      has
      caused
      the
      largest
      drop
      in
      Canadian
      newspaper
      circulation
      in
      fifty
      years.
     
     
      During
      the
      last
      recession,
      sales
      increased.
      Libraries
      and
      schools
      are
      supposed
      to
      receive
     
     
      GST
      rebates,
      but
      the
      rebate
      system
      doesn’t
      work.
      The
      result:
      a
      7%
      cut
      in
      library
      budgets.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      GST
      is
      a
      tax
      on
      literacy.
     
    

    
     
      The
      federal
      government
      collected
      more
      from
      the
      tax
      on
      reading
      material
      last
      year
      than
     
     
      federal
      spending
      on
      adult
      literacy
      and
      publishing
      combined.
      Most
      Canadians
      think
      their
     
     
      government
      should
      support
      literature
      and
      literacy;
      this
      government
      is
      doing
      the
      opposite.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      We
      can
      get
      this
     
     
      tax
      removed
      —
      :
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Here’s
      what
      you
      can
      do.
      ero
     
     
      Canada
      can’tafforda
      tax
      that’s
      reducing
      reading
      and
      harming
      the
      quality
      of
      education.
      The
     
     
      Prime
      Minister
      promised
      in
      October,
      1990
      to
      carefully
      review
      the
      reading
      tax
      after
      a
      year,
     
     
      and
      to
      remove
      itif
      it
      had
      reduced
      reading.
      It’s
      time
      for
      that
      review.
      Pleasesenda
      card,
      letter
     
     
      or
      fax
      to
      the
      Prime
      Minister
      and
      the
      Minister
      of
      Finance,
      and
      to
      your
      local
      MP.
      (No
      postage
     
     
      is
      required
      on
      mail
      to
      these
      individuals),
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Pre-addressed
      postcards
      to
      the
      Prime
      Minister
      and
      Minister
      of
      Finance
      are
      available
      from
     
     
      the
      Canadian
      Federation
      of
      Students
      or
      from
      the
      Coalition.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ask
      your
      student
      association
      what
      they’re
      doing
      to
      fight
      the
      reading
      tax,
      and
      how
      you
      can
     
     
      help.
      Ask
      your
      Board
      of
      Governors,
      faculty
      association
      or
      union
      to
      write
      to
      the
      Prime
     
     
      Minister.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hon.
      Don
      Mazankowski
     
     
      Minister
      of
      Finance
     
    

    
     
      140
      O’Connor
      Street,
      Ottawa
     
     
      K1A
      0A6_
      Fax:
      (613)
      957-5652
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Rt.
      Hon.
      Brian
      Mulroney
     
     
      Office
      of
      the
      Prime
      Minister
     
    

    
     
      80
      Wellington
      Street,
      Ottawa
     
     
      KIA
      0A2_
      Fax:
      (613)
      941-6900
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Don't
      Tax
      Reading
      Coalition
      has
      a
      variety
      of
      materials
      available
      —
      many
      are
      free.
     
     
      Please
      call
      or
      write
      the
      Coalition
      for
      information.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Don't
      Tax
      Reading
      Coalition,
      260
      King
      St.
      E.,
      Toronto,
      Ontario,
      M5A
      1K3
      (416)
      361-1408/Fax
      (416)
      361-0643
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      }